Festivity
by Hikari Kaitou
Summary: Kurogane doesn't like making a big deal over birthdays but thanks to Tomoyo's interference, the group finds out that today is Kurogane's. Fai isn't about to let the ninja go uncelebrated. KxF Super-duper fluffy, companion ish piece for Celebration.
1. Love Tomoyo Hime

**A/N: **Sorry I took so long with this post. I'm working on like 3 fics at once. Good plan, dumb ass. Yeah, shut up.

This story, while similar to Celebration, has no connection to it. I tried to make this one different from its counterpart and I think I did a decent job with that…

Oi vey… this fic is so fluffy, I'll be surprised if it doesn't grow long ears and a cotton tail and hop away. I hope the fluffiness of it doesn't kill you or, like… send you into a coma or something. That would be sad.

* * *

**Chapter 1**

**Love Tomoyo Hime**

The ninja slipped on his sandals and carefully pushed open the door, trying to make as little noise as possible. It was early in the morning and Kurogane was sneaking out of the café, his mind set on finding a newsstand that the group had passed the other day on their exploration of the city. He had seen an issue of Maganyan Shounen Manga magazine there that had caught his attention. It was about time he got his hands on the next copy. The one he had read in Jade Country had left him hanging at a very suspenseful part in the manga so he was eager to see how the next chapter played out.

Once Kurogane had made it around the block, he sighed with relief at the fact that he was still alone. He had worried that Fai might hear him leaving and dash down the stairs to join him on his expedition. Somehow, this world seemed to bring out the sorcerer's irritating nature more than any of the previous ones and Kurogane wasn't sure how much more of Fai he could take before he went kung-fu on his skinny ass.

The warrior was able to find the newsstand fairly quickly and snatched up the long-awaited copy of the magazine. He passed the flower-shaped card containing their money to guy inside the stand, flipping through the pages as he waited. As the pages flashed by, he noticed the date on the top corner and stopped abruptly to examine it, wondering if he had read it right. There was no mistake, it truly was that day. Kurogane blinked. He had been so focused on the journey that he had completely lost track of time and hadn't even noticed that today was his birthday.

The guy running the newsstand handed back the ninja's card, thanking him as he left. Kurogane had never cared much about celebrating birthdays but Tomoyo hime had always insisted on making a big deal out of it; something that he found a bit embarrassing. He felt a rush of relief as he realized that she wouldn't be able to do that this year since he was in a completely different dimension. And he certainly wouldn't be telling his traveling companions about it. They would definitely blow the matter way out of proportion. Fai would probably try to force him to eat cake or something. Stupid magician…

Kurogane let himself back into the café and found Fai sitting on the counter, drinking a cup of coffee and waiting for the warrior's return. Aside from the wizard, the place was empty. Kurogane groaned to himself. Great; a moment alone with Fai. Just what he didn't need. When the blond saw him come in, he put on a pout.

"Where were you, Kurowanko?" he demanded. "How come you didn't take me with you?"

"I went to get a magazine," Kurogane replied shortly. "And I didn't take you because I don't need you hanging on me every second of the day."

"Oh? So I can hang on you some of the day?" Fai asked, perking up at once. "Yay!"

"I didn't say that!" the ninja snapped "Quit putting words in my mouth!"

The blond ignored his protests and bounced over to the table where Kurogane was sitting, a cup of black coffee in his hand. He sat down opposite his companion and pushed the steaming mug toward him. Kurogane muttered his thanks and took the cup from the table. Taking advantage of the fact that the warrior's hands were full, he leaned across the table and patted Kurogane on the head the way one might pat a dog.

"You're a good puppy, aren't you?" he cooed.

"I'M NOT A PUPPY, BASTARD!" Kurogane roared.

At that moment, Syaoran and Sakura walked in along with Mokona who was hitching a ride on the princess's head.

"Good morning!" they three of them said simultaneously.

"Morning!" Fai echoed cheerfully. Kurogane merely nodded.

Mokona jumped down from Sakura's head, landing gracefully on the table.

"Kurogane, Mokona has something for you from Yuuko!" he squeaked.

"Eh? You mean that witch?" Kurogane asked, one of his eyebrows rising in surprise.

"Yep! And there's something here for you too, Fai!"

The white creature opened his mouth wide and out came two small items. One was a package with wrapping and a bow and the other was a thick parchment envelope. The two men leaned forward to examine them. The package had Kurogane's name on it while the envelope was addressed to Fai. They each picked up their respective items for closer examination.

"Yuuko said that both of them came from Tomoyo hime! She asked Yuuko to send them to you!" Mokona explained excitedly.

At the mention of the princess's name, the ninja dropped the package while the wizard simply looked surprised.

"Oh damn…" Kurogane grumbled, pushing the package away from him. "I don't want to open it…"

"Aww, come on, Kuromin!" Fai urged. "I wanna see what Tomoyo hime sent you!"

Grudgingly, the ninja pulled the ribbon off the package and flipped open the card that was stuck to the top. He scanned it disinterestedly and snorted, rolling his eyes as he tossed it aside. Just as he was about to remove the wrapping he became aware that everyone's attention was focused on him.

"QUIT STARING!" he shouted and everyone but Fai quickly turned their heads though they continued to watch from the corners of their eyes.

Kurogane reluctantly ripped off the paper and opened the small white box that was inside. He turned it upside-down and a gold ring fell into his hand. Kurogane held it up and squinted at it, studying the intricate mess of symbols that was engraved on it.

"What the hell…?"

"There's a note here, Kurogane san!" Syaoran said, holding up a piece of paper he had found in the bottom of the box.

"Dear Kurogane san," Sakura read over Syaoran's shoulder. "This ring is a good luck charm that I had custom made for you. I put all sorts of protective spells on it. I hope that it brings you fortune along your journey. Love, Tomoyo hime."

"Oh, how cute!" Fai giggled. Kurogane glared at him.

"It sure it pretty…" Sakura remarked as she studied the ring, "but why did she decide to send it to you just now?"

"Today is Kurogane's birthday!" Mokona blurted, waving the card that had been attached to the present.

"Kurotan's birthday!" Fai said excitedly, jumping out of his chair and draping his lithe body over the ninja's shoulders. "Why didn't you tell us, Kuropi!"

"Because…THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I WAS TRYING TO PREVENT!" Kurogane snapped, pushing the wizard off of him.

"F-Fai san…if he doesn't want you to… then…m-maybe you shouldn't do that…" Syaoran stammered nervously as the blond simply picked himself up and threw his arms around the warrior's neck again.

"In my country, it's tradition to give a person kisses on their birthday! One for each year, plus one extra so that they will make it to their next birthday!" Fai chirped.

Kurogane quickly extracted himself from the sorcerer's grip and scrambled to get as far away as possible, his hand moving to his sword in case he needed to defend himself.

"Don't even think about it, magician!" he snarled, brandishing his weapon threateningly.

Fai sat back down, laughing, before turning his attention to his letter. "I wonder what Tomoyo hime could possibly have to say to me…" he mused. "I mean, I've never even met her."

Kurogane took advantage of everyone's preoccupation with Fai's letter to slip on the ring that his princess had sent him. Even though she had blown his secret about it being his birthday, he appreciated the gift all the same. He would admit this to no one, of course, which was why he had waited until they were distracted to put it on. Now that he was wearing it, he stuck his hand in his pocket to hide the gold band and moved forward curiously to have a peek at the letter that Tomoyo had sent Fai.

There was a red wax seal on the letter that bore the Daidouji family crest. The wizard tried to open it but it stubbornly resisted his efforts.

"Hmm? Now why can't I open it?" Fai asked.

As if in response to his question, graceful, spidery words written in purple ink began to scrawl across the back of the envelope. The blond tilted his head at the message.

"I can't read it," he said.

"It says 'for your eyes only'," Kurogane informed him. "I guess that means you can't open it here."

A mixture of annoyance and jealousy bubbled up in the ninja's stomach. What could Tomoyo hime possibly have to say to that damn magician that only he was aloud to know?

"But how will I know what it says?" Fai wondered aloud.

"Mokona will read it to you!" the white thing offered, bouncing excitedly.

"Ok! Let's go then!" the wizard agreed, allowing Mokona to scramble up onto his shoulder before he dashed to his bedroom, eager to find out what the princess had to say.

Kurogane watched him go bitterly before returning his attention to his coffee. Outside, the weather was cloudy and humid and looked a bit like rain. Ha. Well, someone up there might be trying to take a shit on his day but the joke was on them; he just happened to like rain. _Put that it your pipe and smoke it, dumb ass_, he thought smugly.

* * *

Fai rubbed his temple thoughtfully. Mokona had just finished reading him Tomoyo hime's letter and the wizard was now processing the information. 

"You could always ask at the Central Government Office," Mokona suggested. "Mokona is sure they could tell you where to find a place where you can get that stuff."

"You're right," Fai nodded. "That's what I'll do. Good thinking, Mokona!"

"Mokona is good at problem solving," the rodent bragged.

Fai smiled as he stuffed the letter into the pocket of his coat. Then he sighed.

"That stuff is yucky and it smells gross too…but it's for Kuro chan, so I'll put up with it."

"You should just try some, Fai," Mokona suggested. "It's really good. Mokona bets you'll like it if you just give it a chance."

The wizard shook his head. "I don't think I could do it. It's just too nasty…I suppose I'll just have to eat something before we go."

The white creature shrugged. "If you say so, Fai. It's your loss."

"I'll live, I think," the blond grinned as he left the room. Syaoran, Sakura and Kurogane watched him curiously as he left the café without a word or even a backwards glance. Fai might have told them that he was headed for the information desk at the Central Government Office but he didn't want to waste time answering the inevitable tidal wave of questions that would come at him at the release of so little information. Besides, he was excited. He couldn't wait to see the reaction he would get from Kurogane when they reached their final destination.

* * *

**A/N: **Oh man. I hope that chapter didn't stink like poo. I'm not sure --; 

Oh, but hey! I got a deviant art account this weekend! Hurray! Come check it out, y'all! There's some Tsubasa goodies there (including KxF deliciousness, of course). Just copy and paste the following link into your address bar to get there: http / hikari-kaitou. deviantart. com

For some reason isn't letting me write the link in there as it should be so you'll have to delete the spaces on your own. Also, there should be a colon and another / right after the http but it keeps deleting it everytime I add it! Argh!


	2. Raindrop's Prelude

**A/N: **I really like the name of this chapter. It sounds so poetic, dah? Whatever, you fool. Just get on with the story. OKAAAAAY!

* * *

**Chapter 2**

**Raindrop's Prelude**

"Kuroru, come walking with me!" Fai demanded, bouncing on the balls of his feet. "I wanna take you somewhere!"

"Huh?" the ninja grunted in reply.

"But I can't tell you where we're going!" the blond giggled, clutching the front of Kurogane's yukata. "It's a surpriiiiise! You'll just have to wait till we get there to find out!"

"What the hell? Are you drunk or something?" Kurogane muttered. "What are you so damn excited about?"

"You'll see when we get there," Fai repeated. "Sakura chan! Syaoran kun! Kuromyu and I are going out for a while! So you be good children until mommy and daddy get back, okaaay!"

"Umm…alright," Sakura replied.

"Goody! Ciao, then!" The sorcerer blew them both kisses before throwing open the door and dragging the reluctant warrior along behind him as he tore down the street.

The two children watched him go, slightly incredulous looks on their faces.

"Wow, Fai san sure was excited, huh?" the princess commented.

"Yeah… did he tell you where they were going?" Syaoran asked.

"No. Did he tell you?" she shot back.

"No," the boy replied, shaking his head. "I wonder if it has anything to do with that letter he got from Tomoyo hime…"

"I don't know. I guess we'll just have to wait until they get back to find out where they went," Sakura said. Then she looked out through the window of the café, a slightly apprehensive expression on her face. "It looks like it's going to rain soon… I hope they don't get caught in it."

"It's ok!" Mokona chirped. "Fai took an umbrella with him just in case!"

"Oh… I guess I don't need to worry after all," Sakura replied, a relieved smile spreading across her face. "Well, it's almost time to open the café. Would you help me, Syaoran kun?"

"Ah, sure," Sayaoran agreed, tearing his eyes from the street that his two traveling companions had disappeared down. Personally, he couldn't imagine that Fai bringing an umbrella would help if it began to rain; he knew Kurogane would blatantly refuse to take cover under it. He kept this thought to himself, however. There was no point in worrying the princess over it.

* * *

"Where the hell are we going?" Kurogane demanded.

"Patience is a virtue, Kuronyan!" Fai said elusively. "You'll see. You're gonna love it!"

"I'd better," the ninja grumbled. "This is a pain in the ass."

"Hey, let me look at the ring that Tomoyo hime sent you," the blond requested.

Without thinking, Kurogane removed the band from his finger and handed it to Fai.

"Aww, so you _did_ put it on after all!" the wizard giggled as he took the ring. "You're so cute Kuro sama!"

"Shut up," Kurogane muttered, mentally kicking himself for letting Fai see him wearing it.

The sorcerer held the ring up to the dull, clouded light to study it. After he was done looking, he took the ninja's hand and slipped the gold band back onto his finger.

"It's beautiful," he sighed, "all gold and sparkly… not only that but it's durable and has the power to protect from whatever dangers might come your way. I think it suits you perfectly, Kuropun."

Kurogane glanced at the wizard, his eyes widened slightly in surprise. Fai simply smiled back at him for a moment before sliding his gaze to the ground in front of him.

"You're so lucky to have someone who cares about you as much as Tomoyo hime does… even though you weren't with her, she still remembered your birthday and made it a priority to sent you this protective ring. I wish I had someone to love me like that…"

"You do," Kurogane blurted. Then he was overcome by a strong desire to punch himself. _Why can't you just keep your damn mouth shut, dipshit?_

This time, it was Fai's turn to look surprised. The ninja carefully avoided his gaze and quickened his pace, biting his tongue to keep himself from saying any more retarded things. Fai's grin returned as he matched the warrior's gait and snatched his hand.

"Thank you, Kurokuro," the sorcerer said. "That really means a lot to me."

"…Whatever. Just shut the hell up," Kurogane snapped.

Though the ninja's words were harsh, Fai noticed that he didn't complain any further, nor did he try to free his hand from the wizard's grip. Then he felt a droplet of water hit him on the head… and another…and another. Fai produced the umbrella he had brought along from inside his coat and popped it open, holding it above both their heads. He felt a deep contentment then, shielded from the surrounding rain by the umbrella and clinging to the hand of the one he loved the most.

Fai glanced at Kurogane out of the corner of his eye, not wanting the ninja to notice that he was being observed. Despite the fact that his face was set into its usual grim expression, there was a certain aura of peace about him that the sorcerer rarely noticed. Its presence only deepened Fai's feeling of contentment. He couldn't be sure, but he thought there might be a possibility that the ninja was enjoying their time together almost as much as he was.

* * *

"How much further is this damn place?" Kurogane growled. "We've been walking forever."

"It's not much further now," Fai promised.

"What the hell… you said that like twenty freaking minutes ago," he said. "Do you even know where we're going?"

"Of course I do! I wouldn't drag you all this way for nothing, Kuromun!" the wizard pointed out.

The ninja was just about to reply with a sarcastic remark when he saw Fai stop dead in his tracks.

"What are you looking at?" Kurogane asked, staring in the direction of Fai's gaze.

"Up there…" the sorcerer said, pointing.

Kurogane looked. "What, that tree? What about it?"

"Not the tree." Fai approached it, keeping his eyes fixed on a spot up in its branches. "That."

The warrior strode over to stand beside the wizard, looking up at where he was pointing. For a moment, he saw nothing out of the ordinary. But then his eyes finally found the object that Fai was indicating.

"Are you talking about that bird's nest?" he asked.

"Yeah…look at it," Fai breathed.

Kurogane studied it, arms folded, one eyebrow cocked dubiously. "Yeah? What's so damn special about it?"

"There are baby birds in it," the magician said. "Aww, and they're getting wet."

The ninja rolled his eyes. "So what? It's raining. Things get wet in the rain. Even _you_ should know that."

Fai ignored his sarcasm as he closed the umbrella, tucked it under his chin and pulled himself up into the lower boughs of the tree. Kurogane watched as his companion scaled the branches until he could reach the one on which the bird's nest rested. Wrapping one arm around the branch to secure himself, Fai opened the umbrella once more and stuck it between two limbs so that it sheltered the nest from the rain.

"What the hell are you doing?" Kurogane snarled.

"There! Now they won't get wet anymore!" the wizard grinned.

"Don't be stupid. They're perfectly fine on their own. They don't need help from _you_. Now get your ass down here and let's get going."

"My, my! Kurochin sure is impatient!" Fai laughed as he began to climb down. That's when the sorcerer's hand slipped on one of the slick branches and he fell out of the tree, landing painfully on the sidewalk below.

"Damn!" Kurogane hissed, hurrying to Fai's side.

The wizard was sprawled, unconscious, on the ground and his arm was twisted at an awkward angle. Kurogane could see instantly that it was broken.

Cursing under his breath, the ninja carefully scooped Fai up and cradled his limp form in his arms. What would he do? The only solution that came to mind was to go back to the café. Kurogane hadn't seen a single medical center since they arrived in this city and he always made a point to pay careful attention to his surroundings in case he needed to rely on that knowledge later.

Using the cloth belt that he usually hung his sword from, Kurogane tied the blond's arm to his chest so that it wouldn't move and cause further injury to the already damaged limb. Without wasting another minute, the warrior began the long walk home. He didn't run, knowing that the jostling motion could worsen the injury. Instead, he took the largest strides he could, ignoring the now freezing rain that was running down the back of his neck. At the moment, Kurogane was completely unaware of anything that was going on around him. He was focused solely upon Fai, who was huddled, pale and shivering in his arms. The only thing that mattered now was making sure that he got the wizard home safely and that was exactly what he intended to do.

* * *

**A/N:** I don't even know… I don't even…banana peels! Ha ha ha ha! Review me! 


	3. The Princess's Request

**A/N: **And now for the grand finale! Not quite as good as I had hoped, but not bad, I don't think.

* * *

**Chapter 3**

**The Princess' Request**

By the time he got back to the café, Kurogane was completely drenched. He had done his best to keep Fai out of the worst of the rain but as he had few resources with which to do so, the wizard was also soaked. The ninja strode through the door, quickly shutting out the storm behind him. Sakura and Syaoran had just closed up the café for the night and were enjoying a cup of tea when their companion returned but when they saw him, clutching an unconscious Fai in his arms, they immediately jumped up from their chairs.

"Ah! Kurogane san! What happened!" Syaoran gasped.

"What's wrong with Fai san! Will he be ok!" Sakura panicked.

"He'll live," the ninja said stoically as he kicked off his sandals.

"But—" Sakura began.

"I'll take care of it," Kurogane interrupted. "It's not a big deal."

The two younger travelers could only watch helplessly as the ninja carried Fai up the stairs. Once he had vanished on the landing, Sakura turned to Syaoran.

"We should probably bring up some tea to them," she suggested. "They were out in the rain for a long time."

"Right," the boy agreed.

Without another word, the two set to work.

* * *

Kurogane carefully laid Fai down on the bed before dropping to the floor, every limb heavy with fatigue. He sat there for what seemed like an eternity, trying to scrape together the energy to get up and change out of his dripping clothes. After resting for a few minutes, he was able to do so. Once he had put on a dry outfit, he looked over at Fai.

The sorcerer's clothes were rather wet too but he was unable to change them himself. That left only the ninja able to do it, a thought which caused a strange sensation to spread throughout his stomach. Shaking himself mentally, Kurogane grabbed a dry shirt and pair of pants from the closet before peeling off Fai's wet garments. The warrior found himself overcome with a desire to let his fingers play across the pale, silky skin. It was so inviting and Fai was asleep so he would never even notice…No, stop it, Kurogane told himself. That's wrong. How could I even think something like that?

It wasn't until he forced himself to tear his eyes from the mage's beautiful slim form that he noticed a letter on thick parchment, wet and slightly crumpled on the floor amongst Fai's rain-soaked clothes. Kurogane's eyes widened as he identified it: it was the letter that Tomoyo hime had sent. Curiously, the ninja picked it up and peeled it open.

_Dear Fai san,_

_My name is Tomoyo hime and I am the princess of Kurogane san's world, Japan. I know we have never had the pleasure of meeting each other but I am in need of a small favor and I was wondering if you might possibly be able to help me out. I have been keeping track of everyone's progress along this journey and it has come to my attention that you and Kurogane san are forming an ever-closer bond. Though it may not be apparent to you in your current position, I can see that you have become someone that Kurogane san considers to be important to him. This means a lot to me because I care about him very much but I know that he does not open up to others easily. His attitude is understandable as betrayal is not an uncommon sight for a ninja. Please keep this in mind when he is cold towards you and do not be discouraged; he really does care for you._

_As you may be aware, today is Kurogane san's birthday. I regret that I cannot be with him on this day but that does not mean that all hope is lost. My primary concern is not that I am able to enjoy myself today but that Kurogane san is happy. This is where you come in. I know that the world you are currently visiting receives travelers from many different dimensions, all of whom bring a piece of their culture to that place. Because of this, cuisine from all reaches of the earth can be found there. Kurogane san is especially fond of ochizushi (pressed sushi) and I was wondering if you would mind going with him to get some as I am sure it will be available somewhere in the city. I warn you not to let him know where you are taking him or he may very likely refuse to go as he considers things like celebrating birthdays to be frivolous. _

_I hope you will give my request consideration. I know that even though Kurogane san may seem hostile towards you for making him participate in what he considers to be "pointless activities", he will actually appreciate it very much. Best wishes to you and good luck on the remainder of your journey._

_Sincerely,_

_Tomoyo hime_

Kurogane blinked at the letter that he held in his hands, disbelief washing over him at the ridiculous things that Tomoyo hime had written about him to the wizard. How could she ever think that he cared about that stupid blond mage? Usually, he found Tomoyo hime's words to contain wisdom beyond her years but this time, she was so far off, it was laughable. Then, a timid voice spoke up from the back of his mind. _You know, maybe Tomoyo hime is right. You do spend an awful lot of time thinking about Fai…And don't you remember how worried you were when you saw him fall out of the tree? You haven't felt that much compassion towards anyone else recently besides Tomoyo hime and that's because she's like a younger sister to you._

Kurogane considered this for a few moments. At first, his charge's suggestions had seemed ludicrous but now that he thought about them a little more seriously, they stopped looking so outlandish. But his pride wouldn't give up the fight so easily. _I've always felt at least a faint desire to protect those who were weak and helpless. That's the only reason I cared when he got hurt. And he acts so girly that my mind regards him in the same way that it does Tomoyo hime: like a little sister._

_But look closer, _the timid voice in his head insisted, becoming a little more confident. _Haven't you realized that they aren't the same? Your feelings for Tomoyo hime are warm and fuzzy but your feelings for Fai burn with passion and desire. They are very different._ Now Kurogane's argumentative side was drawing a blank. It tried to reject this suggestion but found that it couldn't truthfully do so. The timid voice was right. And so was Tomoyo hime. In fact, the only one who didn't seem to be sure about his feelings was himself.

A hesitant knock on the door interrupted his train of thought. He turned his scarlet eyes towards the entrance, narrowing them in slight annoyance at whoever had dared to disturb him. There was a short pause before the door creaked slowly open. Sakura poked her head in nervously. When she saw Kurogane looking at her, her face went red.

"U-um… I thought…since you and F-Fai san were out in the… in the rain, you m-might like some t-tea."

"Fine. Whatever," the ninja sighed. "Just put it on that table."

Sakura quickly obeyed, bowed nervously to the warrior and departed at top speed, closing the door behind her. Kurogane picked up one of the cups and took a drink. At least they had remembered not to put any sugar in his tea.

A soft moan from beside him startled the ninja slightly, making him flinch. He looked over at the wizard and saw that he was slowly regaining consciousness.

"Kuro…tan?" Fai said dazedly.

"You're awake, are you?" Kurogane grunted, not looking at the sorcerer.

Fai pushed himself into a sitting position with his good arm. "What happened? Why are we back here?"

"You fell out of a tree and broke your arm. You don't even remember?"

"…Hmm… oh, maybe I do… that would certainly explain why my arm hurts so badly…" the wizard laughed, though it sounded hollow.

"Dumb ass," the ninja grumbled, rolling his eyes.

"So then… did you carry me all the way back here?" Fai asked.

"Not like I had much of a choice," Kurogane said defensively. "The brats would have gotten worried and made me go back for you if I'd just left you there."

"Ah…I see," the sorcerer nodded, smiling sadly.

They fell into an awkward silence then, neither one exactly sure what to say to the other.

"Is there a window open?" Fai asked finally. "It feels really cold in here."

"Eh? No…" the ninja replied, his frown deepening. "This room doesn't even have windows, moron."

"I must be imagining it, then…"

Kurogane looked at Fai, suddenly noticing that his usually fair cheeks now had a dull red flush to them. Without thinking, the ninja put his hand on his companion's forehead. He just had time to note how warm the skin beneath his fingers was before he realized what he was doing and quickly withdrew his hand.

"Feels like a fever," Kurogane mumbled, avoiding the wizard's eyes once more. "You won't be doing much for a while, I guess."

"Aww, that's no fun," Fai complained. "I was looking forward to helping Sakura chan make a cake tomorrow, too…"

"At least you can still walk, right?" Kurogane asked.

The blond tilted his head. "I'm not sure… I think so…Let's see."

He tried to get up and managed to get partially to his feet before his strength gave out and he collapsed into the ninja's arms. Kurogane just sat there, not really sure what his reaction should be. Fai closed his eyes, resting his check against the warrior's chest.

"I'm really sorry, Kurowan," he muttered. "I wanted to take you somewhere special for your birthday but I just ended up causing you trouble again."

The mage clutched a handful of Kurogane's yukata in his uninjured fist.

"I guess I screwed up pretty good this time, hmm?"

Fai smiled apologetically at the ninja. "You probably really hate me now, don't you, Kuronyan?"

The warrior was silent, not knowing what to say. The blond put his arms around Kurogane's waist and buried his face in the swordsman's shoulder, the heat from his feverish cheeks soaking through the fabric of the yukata. After a few moments of silence, Kurogane spoke up.

"You're wrong."

Fai looked up at him, his eyes widened with surprise. "Hmm? Wrong about what?"

"I don't…" the ninja began uncertainly but then stopped.

The wizard cocked his head curiously at him, waiting patiently for him to finish.

"…I don't…hate you," Kurogane muttered.

Fai blinked at him, as if he hardly dared to believe what he was hearing.

"…I…I never hated you."

"Kuro chan…" the sorcerer breathed.

He tried to meet Kurogane's eyes but the ninja was staring determinedly at the floor and refused to look at him. Most people might have found this discouraging but Fai was in heaven. Getting Kurogane to admit that he didn't hate him was almost as good as getting a love confession. A heavy burden was suddenly removed from the mage's heart; one that had been there as long as he could remember. For some reason, the pain in his broken arm seemed to fade considerably and his head no longer felt heavy.

Unable to contain himself due to the feeling of ecstasy that coursed through his veins, Fai threw his good arm around Kurogane's neck and pressed his lips against the ninja's. His companion was so shocked that he simply let it happen, frozen with disbelief. After the blond finally drew away from him, Kurogane got abruptly to his feet and made to leave the room but he paused at the door and looked back at Fai.

"Are you going to write back to Tomoyo hime?" he asked, seemingly out of the blue.

The mage thought for a moment. "Yes…" he said finally. "I suppose I will."

"When you do…" Kurogane began hesitantly, "tell her…"

The ninja stopped. Fai smiled innocently at him, waiting for the rest of his sentence.

"Tell her she was right…" he finished. "She was right about everything… as usual…"

Having said that, Kurogane opened the door, stepped through it and was getting ready to close it behind him when Fai stopped him.

"Kuromin!"

The ninja paused in the doorway but didn't turn to face him.

"Happy birthday," the sorcerer said softly.

Kurogane remained still for a few more seconds before continuing to shut the door behind him.

Though Fai was unable to see the warrior's face through the door, he could sense that for the first time in quite a while, the ninja was smiling.


End file.
